Machine for folding table-napkins or other flat linen articles.



No. 677,436.. Patented u 2, s'o' E. COLLON. MAGHINE FOR FOLDING TABLE NAPKINS OB OTHER FLAT LINEN ARTICLES.

(Applicaion filed Feb. 2, 1960.) .(No Model.) 3 Sheets -Shaet I.

No. &77,436.

- Patented July 2, eo'. E. COLLON. MACHINE FOB FOLDING TABLENAPKINS DR OTHER FLAT LINEN ABTICLES.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1900. (NO Mode 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 677,436. Paten'ted July 2, IQOI. E. CULLON.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING TABLE NAPKINS OR OTHER FLAT LINEN ARTICLES.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR FOLDlNG TABLE-NAPKINS OR OTHER FLAT LINEN ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 677,436, dated July 2, 1901'.

Application filed February 2, 1900. Serial No. 3,703. (No modeL) TO roll whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGNE COLLON, engineer, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of 9 and 11 Rue de Cronstadt, Cannes, (Alpes-Maritimes,) France, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Machines for Folding Table-Yapkins or other Flat Linen Articles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The invention relates to improvements in machines for mechanicallyfolding table-napkins, handkerchiefs, and like small goods, and has for its object meohanism for nipping, folding, creasing, and mechanically stacking the folded articles, and details of Construction hereinafter fnlly described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are sinilarly designated, Figures 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views of end and side elevations of the principal devices in the machine. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the feed-cylinders and the folding and creasing devices. Fig. 4: is a side view of the rope driving mechanism for the cams, and Fig. 5 is a section of the adjustable table for receiving the folded goods.

The napkin, handkerchief, or other article is laid out on the feeding-table c, Figs. 1 and 3, is taken by the cylinder b, which may or may not be oovered with felt, as desired, and is nipped between this cylinder and a roller a, just above it. This roller runs idle in bearings in the framing 20 and is close to but not touching the cylinder b, so that when the fabric is passed between said roller and cylinder the pressure drives the roller a. The shaft 3 of theroller a is supported in yielding bearings, said bearings held to theirlower limit by a spring 21 at each end, whose tension can be varied by a screw and hand-wheel 22. The shaft 3 carries at its enda fast conepulley h, which drives, by means of a belt or cord 5, a second cone-pulley g, idle on the shaft 23 of the cylinder b. To this conepulley is connected the pulley 4, moving with it, driving, by means of belt or cord 5% a pulley 6, loose on shaft 3. This pulley 6 is keyed or otherwise secured to the sleeve 2 on which are secured two cams, which serve to operate the knives for folding the goods. Thus it will be seen that when no goods is passing between the rolle'aand cylinderb the former is stationary, the pulleys g and 4: run idle on the shaft 23, and consequently the cams y and z, Operating the knives, will also be stationary; but when a piece is passed between a and b the pressure between the two drives roller a, and the shaft 3, with its cone-pulley h, which in turn drives g and 4: and the latter the pulley 6 and connected cams y and z'.

The plates d and j or d' andj' are mounted on aXles 0 andp in the framing and are so' journaled or pivoted that these plates have one end normally against or on the periphery of the cylinder b.

The folding-knives e Zt and c' Za' may, as shown in Fig. 3, be carried by blocks q r, that are slidable in slots s t in the framing 20 to and from the ends of the plates d j, that rest against the cylinder b, noving between said cylinder and plate and throwing the latter, which only rests against the cylinder b by its own weight,out from the cylinder. The knives are moved by two armed levers w and w, pivoted-at 24: and 25 to the framing, and whose ends are slotted at 26 and 27 to receive lugs 28 29 on the knives e k or on the blocks q r. The other ends of these levers are also Slotted and receive lugs 30 31, that are Secured to levers u o, operated by the cams y z, respectively.

Beyond each of the plates dj, spring-held against the cylinder b, are creasing-rollers f Z, whose pressure at each end is adjusted by `means of a hand-wheel and screw 32 33, re-

spectively.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the goods is fed and folded in one direction, then falls on an endless belt 72, and is' carried to a second folding device, whose parts (indicated by the same letters with affiXes) are similar in all respects to the first one and shown in detail in Fig. 3, with the eXception that the belt c' forms the cover for the folding-cylinder b' and serves to make folds in the goods at right angles to those already formed. When completely folded and leav- IOO ing the endless belt t' at the cylinder b', the article slides across an inclined table 32 to the receptacle m. (Shown in section in Fig. 5.)

' This comprises a table m, variable in height,

and side boxes or members n, slidable to and from the table on the base 34. Each side member carries two fixed pulleys 35 and 36 at or near its top and a fixed pulley 37 near its bottom. also a series of supports 38, each larger than the one next below, thereby forming shoulders 39, on which rest weights '7.

To the lower weight (the smallestin diameter) is connected one end of a cord or rope 40, which passes up through perforations in the center of the entire series of weights, over pulley 36 to lower pulley 37, and then over pulley 35 to one side of the table, where it is made fast.

The operation will be as follows: A napkin, handkerchief, or the like is fed from table c to roller b, carried under roller a driving this roller and the cams a; and y through the intermediate drivingbelts 5 5. The goods moves along the cylinder b and slides upon the plate d a certain distance, when the cam y lifts the lever u, which in turn lifts the end of lever w to depress the end carrying the knife e, which passes between the end of said plate and cylinder b and throws up the plate d to fold the goods, which then passes under the'creasing-roller f, the parts returning to normal position. Meanwhile another piece of goods is fed from table c and the alreadyfolded piece proceeds on its travel over the plate j. The second cam z now operates the lever'o to operate the knife k in a manner similar to the operation of knife e. The piece of goods is then creased by roller land falls on the endless belt 7,', having two creases in t-that is, folded in threeand is carried by this belt to the second folding device to be similarly folded at right angles to the folds already made. From this second folding device the articles drop on the inclined table 32, slide over it onto plate m, which by the increasing weight gradnally sinks, lifting the smallest and lowermost weight 7 until it comes in contact with the weight next above it, and when more articles fall on and weigh down the table both of these weights are lifted up to the next one, and so on, the table having a gradual downward movemenirconnterbalanced by successively and automatically added weights.

Having now described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters'Patent, is-

i 1. A machine for folding small goods, comprising a cylinder, a roller coperating With said cylinder and driven by the pressure caused by passing the goods between the two, a device arranged to contact with the cylinder and lead the goods from the surface of the cylinder, a creasing-roller contacting with the cylinder beyond said device and a knife timed to fold said goods before it has entirely In each side member there is.

left the cylinder over said device and move with it toward the creasing-roller, substantially as described.

2. A machine for folding small goods, comprising arotating cylinder, a roller cooperating therewith and driven by the pressure of goods between said roller and cylinder, plates for leading the goods off said cylinder at different points, folding-knives operated from said roller and organized to displace said plates and carry the goods toward yielding creasing-rolls, substantially as described.

3. A machine for folding small goods, comprising a rotating cylinder, a roller coperating therewith, a device for strippin g the goods from said cylinder, a creasing-roller contacting with the cylinder, a knife timed to crease said goods before be in g entirely stripped from the cylinder and to return it to the cylinder and under the creasing-roller, substantially as described.

4. A machine for the mechanical folding of flat pieces of linen, comprising the combination of a rotating cylinder and as many foldin g devices arranged around this cylinder as there are folds to be made in the same direction, each of these devices comprising a guideplate supported at one edge against the cylinder in such a manner that it can be moved away therefrom, a knife having an intermittent to-and-fro movement arranged above the plate so as to press on the article to be folded in the angle formed between the plate and the cylinder and a pressing-roller arranged beneath the plate, the whole snbstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A machine for the mechanical folding of fiat pieces of linen, comprising the combination of a rotating cylinder, as many folding devices arranged around this cylinder as there are folds to be made in the same direction, each of these devices comprising a guideplate supported at one edge against the cyl-` inder in such a manner that it can be moved away therefrom, a knife having an intermittent movement arranged above the plate so as to press on the article to be folded in the angle formed between the plate and the cylinder, and a pressing-roller arranged beneath the plate, a roller mounted above the cylinder in such a manner that while it does not touch, it is sufficiently near said cylinder to be caused to rotate when the piece to be folded passes beneath and a mechanism for operating the knives by means of the roller, substantially as described.

6. A machine for the mechanical folding of fiat pieces of linen, comprising the combination of a rotating cylinder, as many folding devices arranged around this cylinder as there are folds to be made in the same direction, each of these devices comprisin g a guide-plate supported at one edge against the cylinder in 'such a manner that it can be moved away therefrom, a knife having an intermittent toand-fro movement arranged above the plate so as to press on the article to be folded in the angle formed between the plate and the cylinder and a pressing-roller arranged beneath the plate, a roller mounted above the cylinder in such a manner that 'while it does not touch, it is sufficiently near said cylinder to be cansed to rotate When the piece to be folded passes beneath and a mechanism with a variable speed for Operating the knives by means of the roller,substantially as described.

7. A machine for the mechanical folding of fiat pieces of linen, comprising the combination of a rotating cylinder, as many folding d evices arran ged around this cylinder as there are folds to be made in the same direction, each of these devices comprising a guide-plate supported at one edge against the cylinder in such a manner that it can be moved away therefrom, a knife having an intermittent toand-fro movement arranged above the plate so as to press on the article to be folded in the angle formed between the plate and the oylinder and a pressing-roller arranged beneath the plate, a second rotating cylinder arranged at right angles to the first, as many folding devices similar to the first and arranged around the second cylinder as there are folds to be made at right angles to the first, and means for conducting the article to be folded from the first to the second oylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my nvention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGNE COLLON.

Witnesses:

FRANOIS VARAR, PHILIP T. RIDDETT. 

